we go in circles
by sinemoras09
Summary: Aihi falls in love. Aihi x human. Collection of oneshots. Fluff. Romance. Spoilers for chapter 122 episode 49 of the anime.
1. we go in circles

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"Human," Aihi says.

The human blinks, hair mussed and eyes still heavy with sleep. Aihi leans over him, her arms brushing against his bare side. "I would like to experience this...intercourse...of which you speak," Aihi says.

"What?" the human jumps up, but Aihi presses a hand to his chest. His eyes are wide and he's blushing a deep red. "I thought...but you said we can't. You're an ayakashi and I'm...." he blushes harder. "I would never make you do that," he says. Aihi's mouth thins.

"This is not your decision," Aihi says. "Besides. Is this not what you've dreamed of, when you locked me in this room?"

"Yes, but..." the human stammers. "No! I mean, I was lonely, I just wanted some company--"

"Then here," Aihi says, and she leans against him and offers a small kiss.

xXx

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The human sleeps, his body curled around hers and his arm draped across her chest. Aihi shifts and he sleepily accommodates, letting her rest her head against his shoulder.

Aihi blinks, squinting her eyes against the watery moonlight filtering through the room. The human feels warm and she likes the feel of him pressed up against her side. He smells nice too, and Aihi nuzzles her face a little against the space against his chest.

"Ayakashi." His eyes blink open. Aihi enjoys the way he feels, and she presses her body closer. "Did this really happen?" he says.

"Hmm." Aihi watches him, curious, as a parade of emotions seem to cross the human's face. Shock, wonder, elation, until it settles into something resembling worry. He looks lonely.

"Human, you do not look happy," Aihi says.

"I'm not--I mean I am! I just..." the human looks flustered. "I just....sometimes you can be close to someone, but still feel distant. Do you understand?"

Aihi considers. "You feel distant from me?" Aihi says.

"No! I mean..." the human flounders a little. Aihi feels sorry for him.

"Human," Aihi says. She is careful to keep her voice soft, and she wraps her arms around his waist. "Do not worry yourself. You are my human." She brushes back an errant strand of hair, her fingertips settling against his face. "I will not do anything to make you sad."

There is something in his eyes - Aihi can't quite place it, but then she sees the tear slip, then another, and she does what she's seen other humans do and she pulls him close. "Foolish human," Aihi says, softly. "Do not be sad."

She drops a small kiss on his forehead and hitches him close; then she breathes deeply and closes her eyes.

xXx

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The human is annoyingly energetic today. "And we'll light candles and I'll bring you the most beautiful kimono, and I'll show you the riverside where the fireflies are."

Aihi frowns. "I have seen fireflies," Aihi says. "And besides, I thought I could not leave this house?"

The human grins, then takes her by the hand. Immediately she can feel the spell bind them both.

"You have bound yourself to me?" Aihi says. She frowns again. "How annoying."

"You can always eat me," the human says.

"Tch. You would not be a very satisfying meal," Aihi says. She stares at their bond, disdainfully. "You do not trust me?"

The human looks ashamed.

Aihi does not blame him. Ayakashi do not form bonds as humans do, and if he were to let her go outside, she would have nothing stopping her from leaving. Even now, the spells that bind her here are weak; though she could easily escape, she does not wish to harm him. Aihi steps forward, then takes the human's hand.

"Do not worry yourself," Aihi says. She grips his hand tightly. "You have every reason not to trust me."

The human bows his head. "Forgive me," he says. Aihi huffs.

"Stop apologizing! We are going to see the fireflies, correct?"

The human looks up. A huge smile spreads on his face.

"Good," Aihi says. "Now ready yourself, human. I expect to be taken out in style."

xXx

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Aihi doesn't need to sleep. As an ayakashi, her strength and stamina are twelve-fold that of normal humans. But increasingly she finds herself sleeping beside the human, crawling under the covers and wrapping him in her arms.

The human likes to cuddle. Aihi blushes a little when he does, but that is a human reaction, and Aihi has lived with humans for far too long. Sometimes the human presses up against her, blushing deep and stammering. "Ayakashi. I was wondering...ano..."

"You wish to reaffirm your connection with me?" Aihi watches him quietly, her hand lightly touching his hip.

"I--yes. I mean, only if you want to."

"Foolish human." Aihi tries not to smile. Wordlessly, she undoes her kimono, letting it drop past her shoulders, then puddle around her feet on the floor.

It is a curious feeling, standing naked and in human form. There is a thrilling sensation of feeling strong and vulnerable at once. The human drops to his knees, then presses his face to her belly, rubbing his chin against her skin. Aihi sighs, and the human tilts his face upwards, his lips against her skin.

When he slips inside her, Aihi can't help but wonder if _this_ is the power of being human, the power to make her sigh and beg and clutch at his arms as if he were something beautiful.

He sleeps with his face pressed against her shoulder blades, and Aihi feels at peace.

xXx

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"Ayakashi?"

"Hmm?"

"Do...do ayakashi love?"

Aihi opens her eyes. "We do not," Aihi says. The rims of the human's eyes darken; she can see the dull hurt at the corners of his eyes.

Aihi softens, then touches his face with his fingertips. "I am...attached," Aihi says, softly. Her eyes flick upwards, meeting his. "I do not know what that means, and I do not fully understand, but I wish to stay with you."

The human's face brightens. "Really?"

"Mmm." Aihi leans against him. "You speak too much," Aihi says. The human smiles.

xXx

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His brother dies. Aihi tries to ignore the human's eyes as he comes to the realization that his family's burden falls to him, and that he cannot fail.

That night, she sees the paper spells scattered on the floor.

xXx

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What was this feeling? Aihi struggles to keep her mind clear, but her eyes are unfocused. There is a tightness in her chest, and dimly she raises a hand to her face and realizes her eyes are wet with tears.

The kimono falls; she takes her true form and steps through the door.

xXx

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"Ayakashi."

Aihi turns, surprised to hear that voice in the middle of the forest. It is the human, her human, standing beneath the moonlight and rubbing his arms.

"What do you want?" Aihi says. The human looks frail and pale; there are dark circles under his eyes, and the corners of his mouth tug into a frown.

"I miss you," the human says.

"Tch." Aihi turns, training her eyes onto the horizon. There are dark trees abutting the nighttime sky. "You do not need me, human. You mistake me for a fool if you think I don't know that much."

The human's mouth twists. He holds himself tighter, shivering a little in the cold. "I was hoping you would stay," he says. His voice sounds sad and he closes his eyes. "But why would you? Ayakashi can't love, you told me that--"

"What?" Aihi turns sharply. The human meets her eyes.

"I couldn't keep you there," the human says. "It was our contract. A year and then I'd die. But I couldn't....my family depended on me, and it wouldn't be fair to you."

"You wanted me to stay?" Aihi feels the muscles in her shoulders loosen. Suddenly she feels lighter, and unexpectantly unsteady on her feet. Her face twists. She feels like she's going to cry.

"Ayakashi--"

"Aihi," Aihi says. A tear slips down her face. "My name is Aihi."

The human's face is drawn. He takes a breath, then pulls her to him, holding her close. "I'll take you home," the human whispers. He presses his hand into her hair.

xXx

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Under the covers, the human feels warm. Aihi nuzzles her face against him, whispering into his ear.

"Shall we reaffirm our connection, human?"

And the human blushes and smiles.


	2. folding paper NC17

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Slowly, she feels him he wind the paper across her arms, two large swaths criss-crossing her skin.

There is something almost thrilling in letting the human do this; she lets him gently lift her arms above her head, lying the paper talismans across her wrists. The spell tightens, and she's bound to the bed. In her human form, Aihi is powerless, unable to break the bonds tying her. But if she were to transform, she could easily tear the paper to shreds. But she doesn't: she arches her back, pulling up against the bonds and relishing the feel of the paper like rope pulling against her skin.

And in the pale moonlight, the human kneels beside her, a supplicant praying beside the altar of her body.

Craning her neck, she searches out the human's eyes as he begins to peel away the layers of her kimono. One bare shoulder is exposed, then another. His thumbs are on the tender hollows of her collarbones, fingertips tracing a soft line on her skin. His eyes are dark and she can't read the expression in them, and as she shifts she feels the tension of her bonds as he coils the paper in his hands, the ink on the talismans smearing slightly.

The kimono parts, and Aihi feels her breasts exposed to the cool night air.

Was this is her human? This idiot, this smiling fool, who is now watching her with dark dark eyes and tracing her skin with his lips. He is like a different man altogether. Aihi sighs, closing her eyes at the feel of his lips closing around her nipple, then nearly cries out as she feels his tongue gently flick the side.

Aihi can't move; she pulls up against her bonds, pushing her breast up into the human's mouth, but the human shifts, careful to move and give her other nipple equal attention. Aihi groans, straining to press her hips against him, but she's powerless to do so. The human smiles again, pleased with his work, then slowly drops onto his elbows and kisses the skin around her navel, her hip, softly kissing her until his tongue gently sweeps across her clit.

Aihi gasps. The sensation is too much. The human gently begins to work on her, his tongue warm and wet and moving painstakingly slow. The tension in her middle builds, and dimly she understands she's about to reach orgasm. She writhes beneath him, straining against her bonds and unable to stop the soft, desperate sounds of her panting coming from her throat.

She comes for the first time, clasping at the human's arms and straining against the talismans holding her to the bed. Her heartbeat crashes, then fades into a dull roar, as her body finally quiets. It's only then that Aihi opens her eyes.

"Are you okay?" the human asks. Aihi can only muster enough strength to nod. The human's expression changes. Wordlessly, he positions himself over her, and Aihi groans at the feel of his hardness sliding up against her clitoris. "Ready?" he asks.

"Yes," Aihi says.

"Really?" he asks.

"_Yes_," Aihi says. She pushes her hips up as best she can, straining against her bonds. The human grins, wickedly.

"You can't move unless I let you," the human says, and his erection slides against her clit. He teases her with his body, the blunt head of his cock dipping into her entrance, before abruptly pulling away. Aihi lets out a low whine and the human laughs, dropping a small kiss against the side of her neck.

"You are mocking me," Aihi says. Her voice is strained. "I have killed other men for less." The human smiles against her skin.

"Poor Ayakashi," the human says, and finally he pushes inside her with one slow thrust. "That isn't very nice of me."

"Idiot," Aihi says. The human laughs; his voice is low and it makes Aihi shiver despite herself. The role reversal must be pleasing to him; in all other aspects of his life, the human is weak, physically frail and emotionally insecure. To take the power now, to hold himself over her, an Ayakashi, must make him feel strangely elated. Aihi knows she can break the spell whenever she wants, but to do so she would have to transform into her true self. But she doesn't want to. She likes the feel of him inside her, the way his face presses against the space between her neck and shoulder and the desperate, almost hungry way he looks into her eyes.

The human begins to thrust. Aihi gasps a little at the sensation - he's hitting her in just the right spot, and the friction is almost unbearable.

"Harder," Aihi says, and the human grips her by the shoulders. "Human, _harder_."

The human finds a rhythm, thrusting hard and fast until Aihi's head rolls back, her leg wrapping around his waist.

When he comes, Aihi feels him pulsing inside her, and it's what pushes her over the edge. She comes a second time, gasping his name.

They lie together, sated, Aihi still bound and the human tracing lazy circles around her wrists. Finally the human shifts, then plucks the paper spells away; they fall like leaves on the floor.


	3. the fifth night

_Author's note: takes place early in Aihi's captivity - before they become lovers (at least in my cracked out head canon :) These oneshots/drabbles won't necessarily be in chronological order._

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"Oi, Ayakashi. You're awake."

Aihi blinked and opened her eyes, waking to the sight of the human hovering just above her.

"Tch. You stand too close," Aihi said. She sat up, moving past him and pushing away the covers.

It was only the third night of her captivity, but Aihi was starting to have enough of this place. Outside, the moon was full, but was obscured by a fine haze. Aihi wondered to herself how it would be to feel the night air on her face, to bathe in the soft moonlight outside.

"Ayakashi. Would you like to read?" the human asked. Aihi glared.

"Human. Do not push your luck. I could kill you at a moment's notice," Aihi said. The human smiled.

Idiot. Aihi should transform and maybe tear a limb off, maybe two, just to teach him a lesson.

But she didn't. Aihi prided herself on not torturing lesser beings.

xXx

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By the fifth night of her captivity, Aihi began to pay closer attention.

While the human visited her in the forest, Aihi had been caught between feeling mildly interested and other times outright entertained. The human was loud and manic; his movements were exaggerated to the point of being ridiculous. "Oh! Ayakashi! You're here!" Always a little too enthusiastic, a little too forced. But it wasn't until Aihi was his captive that she began to notice the other things: how when he thought she wasn't looking that he'd shrink up into himself; his face would fall and his eyes would look sad. Lonely, somehow. That loneliness had reared its head the night he captured her, but after that he had kept it resolutely contained.

And so it was on the fifth night, Aihi quietly watched as the human stared sadly into the dark, not quite realizing Aihi was awake. Softly she crept up beside him - ayakashi could hide their movements, creep close without sound - and gently pressed a hand to his shoulder.

"O-oh! Ayakashi!"

"You are sad," Aihi said.

"I-No! Ayakashi! I'm fine. I'm just glad that you'e awake."

"You are sad," Aihi said, again. The human's face fell.

"Human," Aihi said. "It is foolish to hide these things from me. I demand to know what is wrong." She watched him squirm for a moment, no doubt trying to come up with some sort of ham-fisted excuse to brush everything aside. But then the human's eyes dimmed. His shoulders sagged.

"My brother," the human said. His eyes flicked upwards. "We fought today."

"And this gives you distress?"

"Yes." The human closed his eyes.

"I am a burden," the human said. "Everyone would better off if I weren't alive."

Aihi frowned. "Then shall I eat you, human?" She peered at the human, curiously.

The human sighed. "If you want." He hugged himself, tighter.

Aihi was reminded of that first night, the night she was captured. She remembered the sadness in his eyes and the tear that rolled down his cheek. Quietly Aihi crouched beside him and touched him lightly on the arm.

"Human," Aihi said. "I do not understand this human world, nor the pain that seems to come with it. But rest assured if you were to die, you would be missed." Aihi paused, then considered. "I have grown accustomed to being entertained."

The human made a noise, a sort of sharp laugh, and Aihi smiled. He was feeling better, and this made her glad. Quietly she stood, and rearranged the sash to her kimono.


	4. Valentine

_Author's Note: I felt a hankering for Aihi/Human fluff. Move along :D_

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"Ayakashi."

"Hmm?"

"I have something for you," the human said. He looked nervous; he was holding something in his hand.

"What is it?" Aihi asked. The human was blushing. He held out a small heart-shaped box and handed it to her.

"It's for Valentine's," the human said. He was blushing harder.

"Valentine's?"

The human nodded. "It's chocolate," the human said.

Aihi watched the human, doubtfully. Carefully she pulled the ribbon and opened the box, then picked up a piece of chocolate and sniffed it, making a face.

"This does not seem appetizing," Aihi said.

"S-sorry. I thought you would have liked it." The human pulled the box away, looking thoroughly embarrassed. Quietly Aihi crossed the room, then picked up one of the human's books. The human had been kind enough to bring her books on human culture, so Aihi could read about them at her leisure. Now Aihi had reason to look. Flipping through the chapters, she came across a page titled, "Valentine's Day," and frowned at the article.

"It says the woman gives the man chocolates," Aihi said. She held up the page. "Does this make you the woman?"

"In some countries, men and woman both give gifts," the human said. His embarrassment seemed to pass, momentarily. "You sleep during the day, plus you don't know the culture, so..." he gestured, helplessly. "I thought you would like it," the human said.

Aihi sat next to him, then picked up the piece of chocolate. She sniffed it once more, then popped it into her mouth.

The human watched. "Do you like it?"

Aihi considered. "It is...pleasant," Aihi said. The human's face split into a grin.

Aihi nibbled on a second piece of chocolate. "Who else did you give chocolate to, human?" she asked.

"No one," the human said.

"You did not have a Valentine?"

The human lowered his eyes. "No."

Aihi frowned. "You are very lonely," Aihi said. The human looked sad.

Aihi considered. Then she opened the box of chocolates and handed him a piece.

The human looked confused. "A-ayakashi?"

"For your Valentine," Aihi said. The human blushed and smiled.

* * *

**A/N: I'm pretty sure I'm the only person on the whole internet who ships Aihi/Human. I don't understand why, they're so cute together, I just want to read fic where they kiss and cuddle and the human is adorably eager to please and Aihi is confused. LOL *hugs them* they seriously are my rarepair OTP. DAWWW :) :)**


	5. warm

_Author's note: more fluff. Takes place after the first drabble. I just gotta indulge myself :)  
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It is a strange sensation, Aihi thinks. How nice it is to feel loved.

Not two nights have passed since the human had reaffirmed his connection with her, but Aihi feels as if things have always been this way. She curls up into the spaces of his body, nudging her head against his chin and moving to kiss the corner of his mouth. He is sleeping - the stress of the day's business makes him too tired to stay awake at night - but Aihi doesn't mind. Sometimes he'll wake and they'll make love or sometimes he'll press a sleepy hand around her waist.

Some nights, Aihi leaves the house to go hunting. He trusts her enough that he doesn't replace the spells he had initially removed. After she is through, she will slip back into his room and curl her body around his, and make sure he knows he is not alone.

He sits at the table, going over accounting ledgers and old swaths of fabric. Aihi sits behind him and leans against his back. She knows it is soothing to him, her presence, and so she indulges in this simple contact, bumping her chin into his arm and coaxing his hand around her waist. The human leans back and lets her settle against him, and as he reads the scrolls she can feel him smile.


End file.
